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The Fighting Cocks, Moseley was a good venue. The was a band of brothers, the smiths, which had a band called Saturday the Fourteenth or something similar. Unity were another reggae outfit from the Birmingham area. What about the pirate radio influence ? Anyone remember Second City Radio or PCRL?

I used to go and see Saturday 14th – I still have one of their badges. They were at our school. Mark Billingham was lead singer, now a successful crime writer. They did a cheeky rewrite of Heartbreak Hotel, referencing Palm Court Hotel (I do believe Jasper Carrott also wrote about their residents in one of his sketches.)

On 22nd February 1976 there was a very Good ( and funny) concert on the “Big Ears”-Evening at The Fighting Cocks in Birmingham Moseley. It was – as usual – a Sunday and on Stage were John Dowie and the Big Girl’s Blouse.

I was one of the promoters from 1979-83 along with Wurz (Brian Farley) and Jane Taylor. From 81 we were joined by Bram and Mint, helping us out. We put on a wide variety of gigs from punk (Dead Babies PP & the Pungent Smells) & post punk (Nightingales, Dangerous Girls, ) through drunkabilly (King Kurt) poetry ( Benjamin Zephania, Seething Wells, Attila the Stockbroker, Ted Milton on a step ladder) Cabaret, Comedy, Goth (Cardiac, Sisters of Mercy, actually we put Southern Death Cult on at the Eagle) Screeching (forgotten their name) Synth (Eyeless in Gaza, And also the Trees) New wave (photos, dancing did) Alternative (Smiths, Blurt) and lots of Reggae (Icarus, Crucial Music, Black Symbol, Beshara, African Star, Iganda) plus lots of local favourites like the surprises/everreadies, Sat the 14th, The Privates, Cuddly Bunnies, Xpertz, Alternative Route Swans Way and many, many more who are just starting to come back to me through the fog, sorry if I forgot you at the moment.. We had a lot of fun, drank a lot of beer, made no money but lots of friends.

Ha ha…hello Clive, jilly here, Wurzs ex….Yes Nitelife promos…remember those days so we’ll……when music was live and entrance fees were realistic!!!!
When we took a gamble on “up and coming” from “tapes in the post” and actually seeing bands play!!!!
The Smiths, gay tower ballroom…
THE CRAVATS!, chat to The Shend, still….alive touring and being The SHEND in Brighton…
Hope all is musically wonderful still wherever you are ah, the dim and distant days of rocking pub music…

Hi Clive,
Nice to hear from you…
Boys great, Miles getting married in September, James long term dating, they have a sister, she’s at Uni, myself, Historical/social history researcher…
Living in Wales, still into music, still trying to tell the kids, they didn’t invent “partying”……but quite proud that Nitelife put The Smiths on before they became Mega…and often hear them telling friends….
Still in contact with The She’s, from Cravats….he’s still gigging in Brighton, and acting…
So how are you, still blissfully happy with Dawn?
Any children?
Still going to gigs/festivals?
Love to hear more gossip..
Take care.

I used to live in Moseley from 77 to 82 (between 5 and 10 years old, went to St Martins de Porres), and used to see Dead Babies graffiti on the streets bout 1981. I remember a cool black original punk, with green spiky hair, chains, leopard print jacket, the lot… he even had a baby’s dummy round his neck that used to get nervous laughs… could he have been a member of the band? Can anyone shed some light?.

I’ve been checking out some of my archive. Icicle works ( put them on at the Eagle as well), The Copy, the Bumbites, the Pinkies, Terry and Gerry, Fast Relief, Go Betweens, Ritual, Carmel, Carnastoan, The Black Crows? Ted Chippington oh my god I’m going to be up all night trying to remember the others

I worked in The Fighting Cocks in 1979-80 when Brenda & Ivor were in charge. I recall running the bar upstairs for a Ruby Turner gig. It was also around this time that Brenda barred the lads from UB40 for nicking rolls at lunchtime, just as their first single hit the charts!

loads of great gigs seen here au pairs / the cravats / dangerous girls / the opinions also played their last ever gig here before splitting up-remember coming away from that gig totally gutted as i had got to know them and used to knock around with them .this place had a great vibe prob due to being in bedsit / student land…happy days

I saw The First Band fronted by Steve Ajao at The Cocks early 70s. They always did the same set and ever since I have always loved The Midnight Rider song (Allman Brothers?).

Who remembers Welsh Brenda (ie not Brenda the landlady) who always worked the upstairs bar? Here’s a note about her.. She always looked miserable but later I met her every Sunday night when she came to the Traf with her husband Ron and best mate Gladys. She looked miserable because she was deafened by the noise but in the quiet of the bar she turned out to be a lovely lady!!
Dicky Mint

I helped promote bands at the Fighting Cocks with Clive and Wurz, Bram and Mint. I still have memorabilia from gigs and some photos that I will hunt out when I have a bit more time. We put on some great bands, remember PIL and Carmel?

Hi jane,
its jilly, ah memories, hand stencilled posters for the bands /gigs
night flyer wars with the “big boys” and police..
frantic phone calls re pa systems, dressing room drinks and cotton towels, such divas!!!
The overseas gamble with The Residenrs, Birmingham town hall…
When a bunch of people did it for the love of music and profit was a distant dream…..
Met Wurz a couple of weeks ago, in Cyprus, sons wedding, still talks fondly of the musical days in Moseley…
take care…..

In the Summer of ’76 I attended a Music-Event at the Fighting Cocks called “New Faces”. And I remember a band from Birmingham Moseley called Soixante Neuf Trio. The Trio lived – that s where this name Fame from – almost nextdoor in Chantry Road # 69.

Remember being under aged sitting on the window sill listening to UB40 Rehearsing, Pete was the manager he knew when my mate Andy got two pints one was for me, he let me get a couple of sups before barring me again.Mad though because Andy got away with it, young jeans lol. Every week tried again. Big up pete and a special bìg up to the earls and UB40 Going to see them in Dublin april 2016 cant wait

Do you remember a girl called Sasha who’s mum used to work for UB40s manager in the very early 80s? She went to St Martin de Porres primary school when we were kids on Forest Road? She would have been 16 in 1988.

I lived in Moseley and Balsall Heath 1982-86 and The Fighting Cocks is often on the itinerary when I return from the South Coast. It’s smart now of course but a classic band venue back in the 80s. About 2015 I was in there with house mates from back then and having been admiring the framed old posters the barman showed us up to the old gig room – locked and forgotten. All there decaying capturing the time. Still glasses with cobwebs.
Will look out any pics.
I remember hearing The Smith’s played after they finished. I saw Sisters of Mercy there in the dry ice and smokey darkness.I remember coming in late to King Kurt gig with shaving foam everywhere…in my mind that wasn’t upstairs but couldn’t be sure. I have started a blog on gigs so I will see if I dig up any other notes or old evidence.
I was at the aforementioned Southern Death Cult gig at the Golden Eagle in town. I have a tape of it somewhere.